House Blocks Student Nondiscrimination Policies

The Tennessee House on Monday voted 75-21 to deny public universities the ability to impose nondiscrimination policies on student organizations. The bill, according to Knoxnews, did not include private institutions like Vanderbilt University or Rhodes College, which had led Gov. Bill Haslam to veto a similar measure last year. Rep. Mark Pody of Lebanon, who sponsored the bill, said the legislation is designed to prevent colleges from requiring student groups to open membership and leadership positions to students that do not share their beliefs.